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Opinion

The Meaning of Prabhupada’s Empowerment in ISKCON

by Mukunda Goswami

An important insight is that empowerment isn’t limited to renunciates. When a brahmana named Kurma wanted to leave his family life, Lord Chaitanya advised him to stay home and chant the holy name. This teaching affirms that householders, often underestimated, are fully capable of spreading Krishna consciousness.

Founder Acharya

Interview with Urmila Devi Dasi: Part 1 Varna and Career-Specific Education

Interviewer: Devotees want to work and live in a devotee community and have financial stability. And these two things seem not very compatible. And that’s what causes the problem.

Urmila D.D.: That’s the problem because we haven’t trained devotees that you can go out into the world as a devotee and that your work can still be devotional service. We discouraged the devotees from doing that.
We’re okay if people who are already financially stable and successful in their careers become devotees and then stay in their careers and have influence in their careers somehow. We didn’t use to be—in the early days of ISKCON, we would tell them to drop everything and move into the asrama. I’d say, the last maybe 10–20 years, we’ve been fine to preach sthane sthitah. You can stay in your place and be a devotee.

Opinion

Interview with Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha Swami

Prabhupada is the founder. Everything he gave us is of fundamental importance. We use Srila Prabhupada’s books, we stick to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, and generally we quote Srila Prabhupada as the example for others, and generally people are receptive and appreciate and respect Prabhupada. So, you may see the Founder Acarya in that way. Somebody may see the Founder Acarya as the Gaudiya Math people, they say Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is the founder Acarya. Other people could say Bhaktivinoda Thakura is the founder Acarya. You could take it back and back and go back to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the founder Acarya. But we’re following Srila Prabhupada, in the present times.